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Aleuria aurantia |
| Aleuria aurantia, the Orange Peel Fungus, is initially cup shaped but develops into a contorted bowl, often splitting. It is most frequently found on disturbed soil beside woodland paths. |
| This is the only Elf Cup fungus that is edible; the
others are in varying degrees poisonous, although some become edible if
thoroughly cooked.
Unfortunately, despite its attractive appearance, the Orange Peel Fungus is not particularly tasty, and so it is rarely used except in small quantities to add colour to salads. These striking cup fungi vary in colour from pale orange through to a very deep orange-red inside the cup, while the outer surface is paler and covered in a very fine down. |
Identification guide |
Description |
The cups are initially round but soon develop
wavy margins and have a tendency to split.
Up to 10 cm across, but more commonly 3 to 6 cm, they are shiny on the inside (hymenial or spore-bearing) surface and downy on the outside. |
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The cup is typically 2 to 4 cm tall
and is attached to the soil by mycelial threads and without a visible
stipe.
The pale outer surface is infertile; the spores are produced on the shiny inner surface of the cup. |
Spore print |
White. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On and beside disturbed paths, particularly on gravelly soil. |
Season |
August to early November. |
Occurrence |
Frequent |
Similar species |
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First Nature Multimedia
Guide to Fungi There is a lot more about this species and hundreds of other beautiful and fascinating mushrooms and toadstools on our CD-ROM for PCs with Internet Explorer. Details...
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